Carbon subsurface traffic jam as driver for methane oxidation activity and selectivity on palladium surfaces

Abstract Separating how surface and subsurface species affect catalytic function is a challenging task in heterogeneous catalysis, particularly when deposition and segregation take place at reaction conditions. Here, we report on an operando approach to establish surface/subsurface/function correlat...

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Main Authors: Ulrike Küst, Rosemary Jones, Julia Prumbs, Alessandro Namar, Mattia Scardamaglia, Andrey Shavorskiy, Jan Knudsen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-08-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63088-9
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author Ulrike Küst
Rosemary Jones
Julia Prumbs
Alessandro Namar
Mattia Scardamaglia
Andrey Shavorskiy
Jan Knudsen
author_facet Ulrike Küst
Rosemary Jones
Julia Prumbs
Alessandro Namar
Mattia Scardamaglia
Andrey Shavorskiy
Jan Knudsen
author_sort Ulrike Küst
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Separating how surface and subsurface species affect catalytic function is a challenging task in heterogeneous catalysis, particularly when deposition and segregation take place at reaction conditions. Here, we report on an operando approach to establish surface/subsurface/function correlations. Using temperature modulations we oscillate carbon deposition and segregation over a Pd catalyst. Catalytic composition and function are monitored during methane oxidation showing that the surface coverage of carbon drives partial oxidation to CO, while subsurface carbon controls the overall methane turnover. Also, we show that a carbon traffic jam in the subsurface leads to a shifting selectivity from H2 to H2O formation, highlighting the importance of the catalyst subsurface for the catalytic reaction.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
issn 2041-1723
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-a69547eefea542e8a62595ce7bd406562025-08-24T11:38:20ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-08-011611710.1038/s41467-025-63088-9Carbon subsurface traffic jam as driver for methane oxidation activity and selectivity on palladium surfacesUlrike Küst0Rosemary Jones1Julia Prumbs2Alessandro Namar3Mattia Scardamaglia4Andrey Shavorskiy5Jan Knudsen6Division of Synchrotron Radiation Research, Lund UniversityDivision of Synchrotron Radiation Research, Lund UniversityDivision of Synchrotron Radiation Research, Lund UniversityPhysics Department, University of TriesteMAX IV Laboratory, Lund UniversityMAX IV Laboratory, Lund UniversityDivision of Synchrotron Radiation Research, Lund UniversityAbstract Separating how surface and subsurface species affect catalytic function is a challenging task in heterogeneous catalysis, particularly when deposition and segregation take place at reaction conditions. Here, we report on an operando approach to establish surface/subsurface/function correlations. Using temperature modulations we oscillate carbon deposition and segregation over a Pd catalyst. Catalytic composition and function are monitored during methane oxidation showing that the surface coverage of carbon drives partial oxidation to CO, while subsurface carbon controls the overall methane turnover. Also, we show that a carbon traffic jam in the subsurface leads to a shifting selectivity from H2 to H2O formation, highlighting the importance of the catalyst subsurface for the catalytic reaction.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63088-9
spellingShingle Ulrike Küst
Rosemary Jones
Julia Prumbs
Alessandro Namar
Mattia Scardamaglia
Andrey Shavorskiy
Jan Knudsen
Carbon subsurface traffic jam as driver for methane oxidation activity and selectivity on palladium surfaces
Nature Communications
title Carbon subsurface traffic jam as driver for methane oxidation activity and selectivity on palladium surfaces
title_full Carbon subsurface traffic jam as driver for methane oxidation activity and selectivity on palladium surfaces
title_fullStr Carbon subsurface traffic jam as driver for methane oxidation activity and selectivity on palladium surfaces
title_full_unstemmed Carbon subsurface traffic jam as driver for methane oxidation activity and selectivity on palladium surfaces
title_short Carbon subsurface traffic jam as driver for methane oxidation activity and selectivity on palladium surfaces
title_sort carbon subsurface traffic jam as driver for methane oxidation activity and selectivity on palladium surfaces
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63088-9
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